Barrick Niugini, the operators of the huge Porgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea, is keen to point out that it makes, and has made, a substantial contribution to the country.
The Porgera gold mine Photo: wikicommons / Richard Farbellini
This comes after a group called the Justice Foundation for Porgera announced it was launching a $US13.28 billion dollar suit against the PNG government.
lt said it was suing the government but it would expect the company to eventually cover any compensation order.
It alleged environmental and social damage caused by the mine over the past 29 years but the company said it had paid hundreds of millions of kina in compensation as part of its contract.
It said it had also paid billions in taxes and more than half a billion in royalties over the 29 years.
The company said it had developed and maintained a wide range of community infrastructure and facilities, spending more than $US125 million on health, education, power and sanitation facilities.
Barrick is now seeking a renewal of its lease and says the Porgera community supports the continued operation of the mine, including the Porgera Landowners Association, which it said is the recognised representative body of the mining lease landowners.